This invention relates generally to a conveyor transport system, and more particularly to a system for transferring articles between oppositely running conveyor belts.
Many applications in various fields of manufacturing make use of conveyor belt systems. In particular, oppositely running conveyors disposed side by side are used for transporting articles. A common such use for these types of conveyor belt systems is in an accumulator system that is utilized between an upstream delivery station and a downstream receiving station. Such an accumulator is used to store articles when the capacity of the downstream receiving station is either shut down or run at a speed wherein it cannot handle the number of articles being fed by the upstream station.
Such accumulator conveying systems are known to those skilled in the art. One particular accumulator conveying system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,291, which is assigned to the assignee of the current invention and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. With such accumulator systems, and any other system wherein articles are transferred from one conveyor running in one direction onto another conveyor running in an opposite direction, a device must be provided for controlling the transfer of the articles from the first conveyor to the second.
The ""291 patent teaches several different ideas used in transferring an object from one conveyor to another. In one embodiment, the article transfer member is a horseshoe type member having a guide plate with a guide wheel that rotates. The guide plate is located between two oppositely moving conveyor belts. A gear is connected to the guide plate, and the gear is in communication with corresponding teeth on each conveyor belt. If the belts are moving at the same speed, the gear simply rotates at a fixed rate and the guide plate remains stationary. If one belt is moving faster than another, the gear will rotate faster in one direction and hence the guide plate will move in the direction of the faster moving conveyor belt. Such movement may be desired when incorporating such an article transfer device into an accumulator system.
The conveyor belts disclosed in the ""291 patent are shown as connected links. Articles that are transported on one conveyor belt contact an end portion of the article transfer member. This end portion is shaped such that articles are directed against the guide wheel. The rotation of the guide wheel and the movement of the first conveyor will move the article through the first portion of the article transfer device.
Once the article is moved off of the first conveyor belt, a dead plate is positioned between the two conveyor belts. The guide wheel urges the object over the dead plate through an intermediate portion of the article transfer device. Once the article contacts the second conveyor belt, the object is urged through the article transfer device by both the second conveyor belt and the guide wheel. Eventually exiting the article transfer device, the article is finally carried solely by the second conveyor in a direction opposite to the first.
Other ways of transferring articles between conveyors are known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,812 B1, which is assigned to the same assignee of the present invention and is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, teaches one such way. One of the teachings of the ""812 patent includes a deflector bar which moves articles to one end and off of the first conveyor. A bridge is placed between the two oppositely moving conveyor belts. Once on the second conveyor belt, a deflector rail properly positions the articles on the belt.
Although these prior art devices work well in their intended applications, it is still sometimes the case that certain articles are not smoothly transferred from the first conveyor belt to the second. The current application provides a novel article transfer device and an improved article transfer device over the current technology.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned from practice of the invention.
One aspect of the present invention provides for an apparatus that is used for the transfer of articles. The apparatus includes a first conveyor that moves in a first direction, and a second conveyor that moves in second direction opposite from the first direction. Additionally, the second conveyor is spaced from the first conveyor. A transfer device is substantially disposed between the first and second conveyors. The transfer device includes a transfer plate that is used to transfer articles between the first and second conveyors. The transfer device overlaps more of the second conveyor than the first conveyor. It is to be understood that the transfer device may be under the first conveyor and over the second conveyor.
Another aspect of the present invention may include an apparatus as described above where the transfer plate is a rotating disk.
A further aspect of the present invention may include an apparatus for the transfer of articles as described above where the transfer device has a pinion having an axis of revolution that is between the first and second conveyors. The axis of revolution may be offset from the middle of the space between the first and second conveyors.
Still another aspect of the present invention may include an embodiment where the apparatus for the transfer of articles as described above has an internal gear connected to the drive gear. Here, the pinion is in communication with the internal gear and is connected to the transfer plate.
Another aspect of the present invention includes an embodiment of a transfer device for the transfer of articles from a first conveyor belt to a second conveyor belt. The transfer device includes a transfer plate that is used to transfer articles from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt. The transfer plate overlaps more of the second conveyor belt than the first conveyor belt. It is to be understood that the transfer plate may be under the first conveyor belt and over the second conveyor belt. A guide rail mechanism may be located proximate to the first and second conveyor belts.
A further aspect of the present invention includes an embodiment of the apparatus for the transfer of articles as described above where the transfer device has a drive gear that engages both the first and second conveyor belts.
A still further aspect of the present invention includes an embodiment where the transfer device has a pinion having an axis of revolution that is between the first and second conveyor belts. The axis of revolution may be offset from the middle of the space between. the first and second conveyor belts.
A further aspect of the present invention includes an embodiment where the transfer device has an internal gear connected to the drive gear. Here, the pinion is in communication with the internal gear and is connected to the transfer plate.
Another aspect of the present invention includes an apparatus for the transfer of articles which includes a first conveyor that moves in a first direction. A second conveyor moves in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction. The second conveyor is spaced from the first conveyor. A gear engages both the first and second conveyors, and rotates in response to movement of the first and second conveyors. A drive train transfers rotation from the gear to a transfer plate. A transfer plate is included that rotates. The transfer plate is located substantially between the first and second conveyors, and is used to transfer articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The axis of revolution of the transfer plate may be offset from the middle of the first and second conveyors.